Allow me to be frank: an honest cover letter

Dear Youth Ministry Committee Chair,

It is no secret that a passion for empowering and challenging youth runs through my veins. This being true, I would like to be considered for the pastoral role in youth ministry at Grandview.

I have thirteen years of experience in youth mentorship and relational leadership development in church, campus, and para-church settings. When I was in the role of Youth Director at Grandview, I felt honoured to be able to hunker down with the youth and preteens of our church; to uncover their potential with them -- side by side in the trenches of faith, family, and friends; to be in a place where we could ask questions together, where I could be the guide on the side (not the sage on the stage) before I even knew the cliché teacher-jargon to say it that way. I liked going into their schools at lunchtime, meeting their friends, being with them in their safe space. Frick, I loved playing laser tag and paintball.

All too often adults underestimate the abilities of youth and preteens. Anyone can believe the children are our future. Fuck, I believe the children are our present. And as such I have been present in the lives of youth, am present, and would love the opportunity to continue to be present on a long-term basis at Grandview.

True, I don’t have theological training. But I have something else: on-the-job pastoral training (and teacher training which is kind of like pastoral training without the hermeneutics). I also have an apartment on Commercial Drive with a Sega Genesis, and that’s gotta count for something.

I also have the unique (and unfortunate) bonus of having worked with UrbanPromise as the Preteen Director and am (somewhat) willing to partner with UrbanPromise in a joint vision and ministry for the youth in the neighbourhood. In the past, I greatly enjoyed collaborating with the StreetLeader Director and Site Directors and look forward to similar fruitful partnerships with the current UP staff.

I have attached my resume, and look forward to hearing from you in the near future. Please feel free to email or call me if you have further questions or to set up an interview.

Sincerely,

Green "G." Mango